A device, such as a fan, that is secured onto a shaft of a machine, such as s motor, must be secured in a manner that prevents axial or radial movement of the device. As shown in FIG. 1, certain conventional systems and methods for securing devices, such as a fan, onto a motor shaft, require setscrews and keyways. A keyway is machined directly onto the fan and is also machined into the shaft. The fan is drilled and tapped to receive a setscrew. The fan is mounted onto the shaft and secured radially by a common key. The key is secured by a setscrew that traverses the keyway provided by the fan. This setscrew axially retains the fan. It can be appreciated that disadvantages caused by this conventional system and method for mounting a device to a motor shaft are that keyways and setscrews increase stress concentration, thereby effectively increasing the stress that the fan's structure is subjected to during operation. Excessive stress tends to result in decreased reliability, thereby increasing overall operating costs of the motor.
It can be appreciated that conventional systems have attempted, but have failed to remedy the problem that a device such as a fan, which is secured to a motor, receives excessive and destructive stress during its operation. For example, certain conventional systems and methods apply less interference in the fit-up between a fan and a shaft; however this requires tighter machining tolerances. Other conventional systems include stronger material for mechanically mounting a fan. However, it will be appreciated that these conventional methods and systems are particularly costly and inefficient. Therefore, there is a need for an efficient, effective system and method for mechanically mounting a device, such as a fan, to a motor without subjecting the device to increased stress during its operation.